Monday, April 11, 2005

From LGF. The Mullahs must have gotten their hands on CNN and BBC viewer demograhics:

Iran, which long castigated the United States as the “Great Satan”, is to promote its tourist potential on America’s CNN television station and Britain’s BBC, the country’s vice-president for tourism Hossein Marachi has revealed to AFP.

Tense relations between Tehran and Washington will not stop Iran from exploiting its attractions on the US cable network, said Marachi, who insists US sanctions preventing American companies from trading with Iran “will not apply in this instance”.

Both BBC and CNN campaigns should start within two months under a one-year contract, the value of which Marachi did not disclose.

Kevin Young, acting head of public relations for BBC World, said: “There have been long discussions about this and we’re optimistic the campaign will be launched but it’s not been finalised yet.”

He added that no actual starting date had been decided and the ads would only be shown on the state-funded broadcaster’s semi-commercial BBC World.

“We would be looking at what we call a spot campaign, which is a straightforward commercial campaign for 30- or 60-second adverts that would appear for a period of six months.”

Spokesman Nigel Pritchard for CNN international in Atlanta said only: “We can’t comment on commercial deals unless they are in place. There is no deal in place.”

Marachi said Iran would provide footage for the slots.

“They will show Iranian tourist sites. ”You’ll not see Friday prayers," he added with a smile.

I can hear the voice-over already: "Step back a couple thousand cultural years where radical Islam lives and breeds. Although we still want you dead, we're happy to take money from the suckers who've had enough of visiting western dictatorships and are looking for more exotic examples of opression. And should you and your wife have a disagreement? Smack her, it's legal here. Iran, the place time forgot."

Even mad Mullahs think it virtuous to spend hard-won money wisely, so what does it say about CNN and the BBC's points of view and their audience that Iran, Inc., finds it potentially profitable to tempt viewers to visit their tyrannical sand box?